Apparatus for depositing articles in rows

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for depositing articles in rows on a tray, conveyor, or the like. The apparatus employs a conveyor belt which receives the articles at one end of its transport length and drops them from the other. A plurality of guides are provided for guiding the belt; these guides include a stationary guide defining one end of the transport length of the belt and a movable guide defining the other. The movable guide is movable in a linear direction above the receiving tray or conveyor to vary the transport length of the belt. According to the invention, the conveyor belt is advanced a prescribed distance from the stationary to the movable guide by a first drive means each time an article is received by the belt, and the movable guide is moved in the linear direction by a second drive means each time a prescribed number of articles have been received. The second drive means is separate from, but operates in dependence upon the first drive means to move the movable guide in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt and back again in one swift action.

A United States Patent 3,357,154 12/1967 Florian Inventors WalterSchnee;

Peter Maag, Villingen, Germany Appl. No. 765,147 Filed Oct. 4, 1968Patented Jan. 19, 1971 Assignee Fr. Winkler KG Spezialfabrik furBackereimaschinen und Backofen Villingen, Black Forest, Germany Mar. 15,1968 Denmark Priority APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING ARTICLES IN ROWS 12Claims, 1 Drawing Fig.

U.S. Cl.

Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter ABSTRACT: Apparatus for depositingarticles in rows on a tray, conveyor, or the like. The apparatus employsa conveyor belt which receives the articles at one end of its transportlength and drops them from the other. A plurality of guides are providedfor guiding the belt; these guides include a stationary guide definingone end of the transport length of the belt and a movable guide definingthe other. The movable guide is movable in a linear direction above thereceiving tray or conveyor to vary the transport length of the belt.According to the invention, the conveyor belt is advanced a prescribeddistance from the stationary to the movable guide by a first drivemeanseach time an article is received by the belt, and the movable guideis moved in the linear direction by a second drive means each time aprescribed number of articles have been received. The second drive meansis separate from, but operates in dependence upon the first drive meansto move the movable guide in the direction opposite to the direction ofmovement of the conveyor belt and back again in one swift action.

1 APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING ARTICLES IN ROWS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a machine for depositing dough balls tobe baked or kneaded, which are received from a feed conveyor belt, ontoa further transporting member such as an additional conveyor belt movedtransverse to the direction of the feed conveyor belt or a removablereceiving tray such as a baking sheet, fermentation rack or the like.

Dough depositing machines are already known which receive incomingpieces of dough or dough balls on an endless depositing belt that isprovided with a weight loaded loop and passed around a movabledepositing carriage. The depositing carriage is shifted stepwise byelectric motor in the transport direction of the feed conveyor belt,then moved in a direction opposite to the direction of motion of thefeed conveyor belt after a selected number of steps.

In addition to surrounding the depositing carriage the depositing beltis guided around a-feed entry roller, one or more guide rollers and arotatable weight-loading roller which forms the weight loaded loop. Thefeed entry roller is provided with a one-way clutch mechanism to preventit from turning backward. v

As the depositing carriage is moved in steps in the transport directionof the feed conveyor belt, the upper strand of the depositing belt,which carries and transports the successively received dough balls, isguided out over the member on which the dough balls are to be furthertransported. This is accomplished by raising the weight loaded belt loopand using the length of belt so obtained to extend the belt over thetransporting member.

After a prescribed number of step movements, which number corresponds tothe number of doughballs to be simultaneously placed in a row on thetransporting member, the depositing carriage is returned to its initialposition so that the lower portion of the depositing belt, and the upperstrand thereof which is covered with dough balls, is drawn back by theaction of the weight-loading roller and the dough balls are released tofall onto the transporting member immediately below. 1

The motion of the depositing carriage and, thus, the depositing belt iseffected by a single electric motor. The motor is connected to drive acam shaft having a suitable cam disc. As the cam disc turns it moves anarm that rests against it and, in,addition, is flexibly coupled with thedepositing carriage so that the carriage will be pushed forward, andthen allowed to move backward, under control of the electric motor.

The electric motor is also connected to drive a cam having an indexingdisc. As the indexing disc turns it actuates a switch, at prescribedregular intervals, which switches the the electric motor off. The motoris switched on by the presence of a dough ball supplied to thedepositing belt., This can beac-.

complished, for example, by sensing the presence of the incoming doughballs with a suitable pulse switch. Thus, as each dough ball is receivedby the depositing belt the electric motor is turned on, drives thedepositing carriage the distance of one step, and is automaticallyturned off.

The depositing belt of this prior art machine is, therefore, driven in apositive or form-locked manner by the weightloading roller on one handand the depositing carriage (by means of the cam disc controlled arm) onthe other. As a result of the high inertia of this system, however,these parts cannot be driven to move fast enough to match the highthrough-puts found'in modern automatic bakery installations. If anattempt is made to increase the speed of a known dough ball depositingmachine of this type, the machine will operate in a vibrating or joltingfashion.

In order that a depositing machine of the type described above mayoperate quietly, safely and smoothly also at.increased speeds, it hasbeen proposed that an electric motor operated positive drive be providedfor the depositingbelt as well as the depositing carriage.

In this case, the cam shaft which is driven by the electric motor of thedepositing machine carries a slot-cam disc in addition to the cam discwhich actuates the pulse switch to turn off the motor in sympathy withthe supply of dough balls. The slot-cam disc is designed to control themovements of the swing arm that is flexibly coupled with the depositingcarriage. This is accomplished by a roller attached to one end of theswing arm and inserted in the curved'slot of the slot-cam disc.

To avoid the use ofthe weight-loading roller to form the loop in thedepositing belt in the depositing machines of the prior art, it has alsobeen proposed to guide the belt around an additional stationary butrotatably mounted guide roller as well as an additional roller rotatablymounted on the depositmg carnage.

Although the depositing machine just described operates considerablymore smoothly than the machines known in the prior art, there still arelimits as to the possible increase in its operating speed andthrough-put.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention, therefore,is to provide a machine for depositing articles in rows on a transporttray, conveyor belt or the like which operates smoothly even at elevatedspeeds.

This object, as well as other objects which will become apparent in thediscussion that follows, is achieved, according to the presentinvention, by providing a separate drive motor for the forward movementsof the depositing belt and the back and forth movements of thedepositing carriage.

Thus, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention,the depositing machine includes a depositing conveyor belt guided by anumber of members which include a stationary roller defining one end ofthe transport length of the belt and a movable bar defining the other.The guide bar (which forms a part of the depositing carriage) is movablein a linear direction above the transporting member (e.g., the tray) tovary the transport length of the belt. A first electric motor is thenprovided to advance the belt one step from the stationary roller to themovable bar upon receipt of each dough ball. And, finally, a secondelectric motor is connected to move the movable bar in the lineardirection in synchronism with the movement of the first electric motor.In particular, after a prescribed number of dough balls have beenreceived at the end of the conveyor belt defined by the stationaryroller, the second electric motor moves the bar in the directionopposite to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt and backagain in one quick, positive action.

This construction of the depositing machine makes possible aconsiderable increase in the machines operating speed and in itsthrough-put. Also, as a result of the considerable increase in speedwhich the movable bar and its associated depositing carriage can bemoved from one end of its path of travel to the other, the dough ballswill be deposited on the transporting member with greater accuracy. Thisis important since each dough ball must flip over when deposited so thatv the kneading joint thereof will lie on the bottom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The single FIG. of the drawing is aschematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus, accordingto the present invention, for depositing dough balls on a transportingmember.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS member I can, for example, be atray or an additional conveyor belt arranged to move in a directiontransverse to the direction of motion of the conveyor belt of thefeeding device 2.

As the dough balls 3 leave the conveyor belt of the feeding device 2they mechanically actuate a pulse switch device 4 that is operative toswitch on an electric motor 5. The motor 5 is connected by means of anonslip drive 6 with a drive roller 7 to move a conveyor belt 8 in theclockwise direction. The drive roller 7 is rotatably mounted to theframe 1 in such a way that it is permitted only to revolve in theclockwise direction.

The conveyor belt 8 surrounds a depositing carriage 9 including a bar 10located at the right end of the carriage. The carriage is constructed toslide back and forth in the frame 1 in a direction parallel to the topof the conveyor belt 8.

The conveyor belt 8, which forms the depositing belt in this machine, isalso passed around a roller 13 rotatably mounted on the depositingcarriage 9, a stationary, but rotatably mounted guide roller 12 and asmall stationary guide roller 11 rotatably mounted immediately ahead ofthe drive roller 7.

The electric motor 5 is also connected to rotate cam shaft 15 with theaid of an additional nonslip drive 14. The cam shaft 15 carries a camplate 16 as well as a control arm 17. The cam plate 16 is provided witha plurality of cams 18 equal in number to the number of dough balls tobe dropped in a row on the transporting member t. The cams 18successively actuate a switch 19 that is operative to switch off theelectric motor 5 a short time after it has been switched on by the pulseswitch 4. The motor 5 will therefore be operative to move the top of theconveyor belt 8 a short distance toward the right every time it receivesa dough ball 3. As a result, the dough balls 3 will be spaced at regularintervals on the belt 8, as shown in the FlG., and transported towardthe region above the transporting member designated with the letter h".

The control arm 17 is arranged to actuate a switch 20 which turns on anadditional electric motor 21. The motor 21 serves to move the depositingcarriage 9 back and forth.

The drive roller 7, the cam plate 16 and the control arm 17 are soarranged and dimensioned that the cam plate 16 and the control arm 17will make one complete revolution every time the top of the conveyorbelt 8 is moved the distance h. The distance h is defined by the strokelength of the depositing carriage 9; that is, h is the distance betweenthe bar 10 when the carriage is moved to its furthermost left position(shown in dashed lines) and the bar 10 when the carriage is moved to itsfurthermost right, or normal position.

The distance between successive ones of the dough balls 3 is determinedby the arrangement of the earns 18 on the cam plate 16. Either the cams18 are removable and may be placed at any selected position around theedge of the cam plate 16, or the cam plate 16 is removable and may bereplaced by another similar cam plate having a different number andarrangement of cams. Therefore, if it is desired to increase or decreasethe distance between successive dough balls, the cam plate may beprovided with a smaller or greater number of cams, respectively.

The second electric motor 21 drives a disc crank 22. Connected to thisdisc crank is a drive member 23 which, in turn, is flexibly coupled withan am 25 that swivels about a stationary pivot 24. The upper end of thearm 25 is flexibly coupled, with the aid of an intermediate arm 26, withthe lefthand end of the depositing carriage 9. The disc crank 22, thedrive member 23 and the swivel arm 25 are dimensioned so that thedepositing carriage 9 will move the distance h toward the left and backagain with one revolution of the electric motor 21.

As mentioned above, the electric motor 21 is switched on when thecontrol arm 17 actuates the switch 20. After one complete revolution,the motor is switched off; this may be accomplished, for example, byproviding the disc crank 22 with a cam 27 which actuates a switch 28after each revolution.

The electric motor 5 moves the upper portion of the conveyor belt 8 insteps from left to right. As mentioned above,

each movement is initiated by the actuation, by a dough ball 3, of thepulse switch 4. Each time one of the dough balls reaches the rightmostend of the upper portion of the conveyor belt 8, the electric motor 21is turned on by the switch 20 and moves the depositing carriage towardthe left, and back again to its initial position at the right, in oneswift motion. Because the drive roller 7 is prevented from rotating inthe counterclockwise direction, the upper strand or portion of theconveyor belt 8 is prevented from moving backwards. As a result, theupper portion of the conveyor belt 8 which is located in the regiondesignated with the letter h will be drawn downward around the-bar 1-0and to the left by the roller 13, rotatably mounted on the depositingcarriage 9, causing the dough balls in the region h to drop upside downon the transporting member I.

It will be understood that the above description of the presentinvention is susceptible to various modifications, changes andadaptations.

lclaim:

1. Apparatus for depositing articles in rows on a receiving membercomprising, in combination:

a. a conveyor belt;

b. a plurality of guide means for guiding said conveyor belt, said guidemeans including a first stationary guide means defining one end of thetransport length of said belt and a first movable guide means definingthe other end of the transport length of the belt, said movable guidemeans being movable in a linear direction over the receiving member,thereby to impart to said conveyor belt a varia ble transport length;

c. first means, including a first electric motor, for intermittentlyadvancing said conveyor belt from said first stationary guide means tosaid first movable guide means when each article is received by saidbelt at said one end; and

d. second means, including a second electric motor, for moving saidfirst movable guide means in said linear direction in synchronism withthe movement of said first means, said second means, after a prescribednumber of articles have been received at said one end, moving said firstmovable guide means in the direction opposite to the direction ofmovement of said conveyor belt and back again.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said conveyor belt is anendless belt and surrounds said first stationary and said first movableguide means, and wherein said first stationary guide means includes aroller.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said second means includes asliding carriage, said first movable guide means being mounted on saidsliding carriage.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said first stationary guidemeans includes a first stationary roller and means for preventing saidfirst stationary roller from rotating in the direction opposite to thetransport direction of said conveyor belt, and wherein said plurality ofguide means further includes a second and third stationary roller and asecond movable guide means mounted on said sliding carriage, said secondmovable guide means being a roller, thereby to maintain tension in saidconveyor belt when said first and second movable guide means are moved.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said first means includesmeans connecting said first electric motor to rotate said roller formingsaid first stationary guide means; means for sensing the receipt of eacharticle by said belt at said one end and switching on said firstelectric motor in response thereto; and means for switching off saidfirst electric motor after said first electric motor has moved said belta prescribed distance.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein said means for switching offsaid first electric motor includes a rotatable control shaft meansmechanically coupled to be rotated by said first electric motor, andmeans for switching off said first electric motor upon rotation of saidcontrol shaft means a prescribed first angular distance.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein said means for switchingoff said first electric motor includes means for switching on saidsecond electric motor. upon rotation of said control shaft means aprescribed second angular distance.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7, wherein said second angulardistance of said means for switching on said second electric motor is amultiple of said first angular distance of-said means for switching offsaid first electric motor, said multiple being the number of articleswhich are deposited on the receiving member when said first movableguide means are moved in the direction opposite to the direction ofmovement of said belt and back again. i

9. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein said first angular distanceof said means for switching off said first electric motor is adjustable.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein said second angulardistance of said means for switching on said second electric motor isadjustable.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 3, wherein said second means furtherincludes an electric motor; crank means, mechanically coupled to berotated by said electric motor; and drive means, connecting said slidingcarriage with said crank means, for moving said first movable guidemeansin the direction opposite to the direction of movement of said conveyorbelt and back again during one revolution of said crank means.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said second means furtherincludes means for switching off said electric motor after a completerevolution of said crank means.

1. Apparatus for depositing articles in rows on a receiving membercomprising, in combination: a. a conveyor belt; b. a plurality of guidemeans for guiding said conveyor belt, said guide means including a firststationary guide means defining one end of the transport length of saidbelt and a first movable guide means defining the other end of thetransport length of the belt, said movable guide means being movable ina linear direction over the receiving member, thereby to impart to saidconveyor belt a variable transport length; c. first means, including afirst electric motor, for intermittently advancing said conveyor beltfrom said first stationary guide means to said first movable guide meanswhen each article is received by said belt at said one end; and d.second means, including a second electric motor, for moving said firstmovable guide means in said linear direction in synchronism with themovement of said first means, said second means, after a prescribednumber of articles have been received at said one end, moving said firstmovable guide means in the direction Opposite to the direction ofmovement of said conveyor belt and back again.
 2. The apparatus definedin claim 1 wherein said conveyor belt is an endless belt and surroundssaid first stationary and said first movable guide means, and whereinsaid first stationary guide means includes a roller.
 3. The apparatusdefined in claim 1 wherein said second means includes a slidingcarriage, said first movable guide means being mounted on said slidingcarriage.
 4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said firststationary guide means includes a first stationary roller and means forpreventing said first stationary roller from rotating in the directionopposite to the transport direction of said conveyor belt, and whereinsaid plurality of guide means further includes a second and thirdstationary roller and a second movable guide means mounted on saidsliding carriage, said second movable guide means being a roller,thereby to maintain tension in said conveyor belt when said first andsecond movable guide means are moved.
 5. The apparatus defined in claim1 wherein said first means includes means connecting said first electricmotor to rotate said roller forming said first stationary guide means;means for sensing the receipt of each article by said belt at said oneend and switching on said first electric motor in response thereto; andmeans for switching off said first electric motor after said firstelectric motor has moved said belt a prescribed distance.
 6. Theapparatus defined in claim 5 wherein said means for switching off saidfirst electric motor includes a rotatable control shaft meansmechanically coupled to be rotated by said first electric motor, andmeans for switching off said first electric motor upon rotation of saidcontrol shaft means a prescribed first angular distance.
 7. Theapparatus defined in claim 6, wherein said means for switching off saidfirst electric motor includes means for switching on said secondelectric motor upon rotation of said control shaft means a prescribedsecond angular distance.
 8. The apparatus defined in claim 7, whereinsaid second angular distance of said means for switching on said secondelectric motor is a multiple of said first angular distance of saidmeans for switching off said first electric motor, said multiple beingthe number of articles which are deposited on the receiving member whensaid first movable guide means are moved in the direction opposite tothe direction of movement of said belt and back again.
 9. The apparatusdefined in claim 6, wherein said first angular distance of said meansfor switching off said first electric motor is adjustable.
 10. Theapparatus defined in claim 7 wherein said second angular distance ofsaid means for switching on said second electric motor is adjustable.11. The apparatus defined in claim 3, wherein said second means furtherincludes an electric motor; crank means, mechanically coupled to berotated by said electric motor; and drive means, connecting said slidingcarriage with said crank means, for moving said first movable guidemeans in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of saidconveyor belt and back again during one revolution of said crank means.12. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said second means furtherincludes means for switching off said electric motor after a completerevolution of said crank means.